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Epidemiological Study (case-control study)Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case-control study. epidemiol. By: INTERPHONE Study Group, Cardis E, Deltour I, Vrijheid M, Combalot E, Moissonnier M, Tardy H, Armstrong B, Giles G, Brown J, Siemiatycki J, Parent ME, Nadon L, Krewski D, McBride ML, Johansen C, Collatz Christensen H, Auvinen A, Kurttio P, Lahkola A, Salminen T, Hours M, Bernard M, Montestruq L, Schüz J, Berg-Beckhoff G, Schlehofer B, Blettner M, Sadetzki S, Chetrit A, Jarus-Hakak A, Lagorio S, Iavarone I, Takebayashi T, Yamaguchi N, Woodward A, Cook A, Pearce N, Tynes T, Blaasaas KG, Klaeboe L, Feychting M, Lönn S, Ahlbom A, McKinney PA, Hepworth SJ, Muir KR, Swerdlow AJ, Schoemaker MJ
Published in: Int J Epidemiol 2010; 39 (3): 675 - 694 (  full article, PubMed Entry , Journal web site )Aim of study (according to author)
An international case-control study (INTERPHONE) was conducted in 13 countries to determine whether mobile phone use increases the risk of brain tumors.
Background/further details:
The INTERPHONE study was initiated as an international set of case-control studies conducted in 13 countries ( Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK) focussing on four types of tumors (glioma, meningioma, acoustic neurinoma, and parotid gland tumor) in tissues that most absorb radiofrequency energy emitted by mobile phones. In the present publication the results of the analyses of brain tumor (glioma and meningioma) risk are presented.
Sensitivity analyses were performed to detect potential sources for bias.
Regular use of a mobile phone was defined as at least once a week for at least six months.
Final report Link Endpoint/type of risk estimation Estimate of incidence by odds ratio (OR)
Exposure - mobile communication system, analog mobile phone, digital mobile phone, personal exposure
- type of exposure: personal
- assessment by questionnaire (mobile phone use, including start and end dates of use, frequency and laterality of use, type of phone, use of hands-free devices, and other factors, such as type of telephone network)
- assessment by interview (face-to-face interview with the study subject or a proxy or telephone interview)
- assessment by calculation (lifetime cumulative numbers of hours of phone use and numbers of calls)
groups of exposure:
| Reference group 1: | never or nonregular use in the past ≥ 1 year | | group 2: | regular use in the past ≥ 1 year | | Reference group 3: | never regular user | | group 4: | time since start of use: 1-1.9 years | | group 5: | time since start of use: 2-4 years | | group 6: | time since start of use: 5-9 years | | group 7: | time since start of use: ≥ 10 years | | Reference group 8: | never regular user | | group 9: | cumulative call time: < 5 h | | group 10: | cumulative call time: 5-12.9 h | | group 11: | cumulative call time: 13-30.9 h | | group 12: | cumulative call time: 31-60.9 h | | group 13: | cumulative call time: 61-114.9 h | | group 14: | cumulative call time: 115-199.9 h | | group 15: | cumulative call time: 200-359.9 h | | group 16: | cumulative call time: 360-734.9 h | | group 17: | cumulative call time: 735-1639.9 h | | group 18: | cumulative call time: ≥ 1640 h | | Reference group 19: | never regular user | | group 20: | cumulative number of calls: < 150 | | group 21: | cumulative number of calls: 150-349 | | group 22: | cumulative number of calls: 350-749 | | group 23: | cumulative number of calls: 750-1,399 | | group 24: | cumulative number of calls: 1,400-2,549 | | group 25: | cumulative number of calls: 2,550-4,149 | | group 26: | cumulative number of calls: 4,150-6,799 | | group 27: | cumulative number of calls: 6,800-12,799 | | group 28: | cumulative number of calls: 12,800-26,999 | | group 29: | cumulative number of calls: ≥ 27,000 | | Reference group 30: | no ipsilateral mobile phone use in the past ≥ 1 year | | group 31: | ipsilateral mobile phone use in the past ≥ 1 year | | Reference group 32: | no regular user | | group 33: | ipsilateral use, time since start of use: 1-1.9 years | | group 34: | ipsilateral use, time since start of use: 2-4 years | | group 35: | ipsilateral use, time since start of use: 5-9 years | | group 36: | ipsilateral use, time since start of use: ≥ 10 years | | Reference group 37: | no regular user | | group 38: | ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: < 5 h | | group 39: | ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: 5-114.9 h | | group 40: | ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: 115-359.9 h | | group 41: | ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: 360-1639.9 h | | group 42: | ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: ≥ 1640 h | | Reference group 43: | no regular user | | group 44: | ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: 150 | | group 45: | ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: 150-2,549 | | group 46: | ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: 2,550-6,799 | | group 47: | ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: 6,800-26,999 | | group 48: | ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: ≥ 27,000 | | Reference group 49: | no regular user | | group 50: | contralateral use, time since start of use: 1-1.9 years | | group 51: | contralateral use, time since start of use: 2-4 years | | group 52: | contralateral use, time since start of use: 5-9 years | | group 53: | contralateral use, time since start of use: ≥ 10 years | | Reference group 54: | no regular user | | group 55: | contralateral use, cumulative call time: < 5 h | | group 56: | contralateral use, cumulative call time: 5-114.9 h | | group 57: | contralateral use, cumulative call time: 115-359.9 h | | group 58: | contralateral use, cumulative call time: 360-1639.9 h | | group 59: | contralateral use, cumulative call time: ≥ 1640 h | | Reference group 60: | no regular user | | group 61: | contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: 150 | | group 62: | contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: 150-2,549 | | group 63: | contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: 2,550-6,799 | | group 64: | contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: 6,800-26,999 | | group 65: | contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: ≥ 27,000 |
Population
- case group
men and women, aged from 30 to 59 years
diagnosis: glioma or meningioma, histologically confirmed or based on unequivocal diagnostic imaging
observation period: 2000 - 2004
study location: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the UK
source of data: neurological and neurosurgical facilities in the study regions
- control group
selection: population-based
matching: sex, age, ethnic origin (only in Israel)
Further parameters acquired by questionnaire (sociodemographic factors, occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and ionizing radiation, medical history (subject's and family), medical ionizing and non-ionizing radiation exposure, smoking)
Study size  | cases | controls |
|---|
| number eligible | 7,416 | 14,354 | | number participating | 5,190 | 7658 | | number available for analysis | 5,117 | 5,634 |
Other: 2409 meningioma cases and 2708 glioma cases
Statistically significant results
Statistical analysis using conditional logistic regression (adjusted for educational level), sensitity analysis (e.g., study center, interview quality, subjects reporting implausible high amounts of mobile phone use) Results/conclusion (according to author)
A reduced risk related to ever having been a regular mobile phone user was observed for the brain tumors glioma (OR 0.81; CI 0.70-0.94) and meningioma (OR 0.79; CI 0.68-0.91), possibly reflecting participation bias or other methodological limitations. In the highest exposure group (cumulative call time ≥ 1640 h) an increased risk was observed for glioma (OR 1.40; CI 1.03-1.89) and for meningioma (OR 1.15; CI 0.81-1.62); but there were implausible values reported in this group (e.g., mobile phone use more than 5 h/day). The risk for glioma tended to be greater in the temporal lobe than in other lobes of the brain and greater in subjects reporting usual mobile phone use on the same side of the head as the tumor was located (ipsilateral use) than on the opposite side (contralateral use).
The authors concluded that overall no increase in risk of the brain tumor types glioma and meningioma was observed in association with use of mobile phones. There were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma and much less of meningioma at the highest exposure levels.
Limitations (according to author): Bias and error limit the strength of conclusion and prevent causal interpretation.
(Study character: epidemiological study, case-control study)
Study funded by - Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC), France
- Australian Research Council (ARC)
- Bouygues Telecom, France
- Canada Research Chairs (Chaires de Recherche du Canada), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA; Association canadienne des télécommunications sans fil (ACTS)), Canada
- Cancer Society of New Zealand
- Danish Cancer Society
- Deutsches Mobilfunk Forschungsprogramm (DMF; German Mobile Phone Research Programme) at Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS)
- Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Finland
- European Union (EU)/European Commission
- Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ), Canada
- GSM Association, UK/Ireland
- Guzzo Environment-Cancer Chair (University of Montréal) in partnership with Cancer Research Society (CRS) undertaken by the Environment-Cancer Fund, Canada
- Hawkes Bay Medical Research Foundation (HBMR), New Zealand
- Health and Safety Executive, UK
- Health Research Council of New Zealand
- International Union against Cancer (UICC; Union Internationale Contre le Cancer), Switzerland
- MAIFOR Program (Mainzer Forschungsförderungsprogramm) of the University of Mainz, Germany
- Ministerium für Umwelt und Naturschutz, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz, Nordrhein-Westfalen (Ministry for the Environment of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia), Germany
- Ministerium für Umwelt und Verkehr, Baden-Württemberg (Ministry for the Environment and Traffic of the state of Baden-Württemberg), Germany
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan
- Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF), Belgium
- Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR), UK
- National Health Service (NHS), UK
- Orange
- O2
- Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources program of European Union
- Scottish Executive/Scottish Ministers, UK
- SFR, France
- Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden)
- Swedish Research Council (VR)
- T-Mobile
- University of Sydney, Australia
- Vodafone
- Waikato Medical Research Foundation (WMRF), New Zealand
- Wellington Medical Research Foundation (WMRF), New Zealand
- 3
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Glossary: acoustic neurinoma, analog, bias, brain, brain tumor, case-control study, CI, conditional logistic regression, contralateral, cumulative, diagnostic imaging, digital, electromagnetic fields, emitted, endpoint, epidemiological, exposure, frequency, glioma, histologically, incidence, initiated, Interphone, ionizing, ionizing radiation, ipsilateral, laterality, matching, medical history, meningioma, mobile communication, mobile phone, neurological, Non-Ionizing Radiation, occupational exposure, OR, parotid gland tumor, population-based, potential, questionnaire, radiofrequency, risk, sensitivity, statistical, subjects, temporal lobe, tissues, tumor |
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